More Important Things
by AtLoLevad
Summary: Tony doesn't expect her to come home, but life has a way of surprising him. A fic I wrote that brings Ziva back to her family.


130.

Tony added the yellow post-it to the board next to his desk.

130 yellow post-its.

130 shitty days.

100 work days where he's had to look at an empty desk

130 days since she left them, left him.

At this point, Tony had become numb to her absence. He barely wants to acknowledge that she's gone, going so far as to bring her up in conversation randomly. He wanted to make sure none of them forget about her, that none of them ever think about replacing her.

"Coffee, Tony?" McGee rested a cardboard cup on Tony's desk. The senior agent offered up a wry half-smile; it's nice that McGee's been trying to bring him out of the funk he's been in.

"Thanks, pro—" The word gets caught in Tony's throat. McGee nodded knowingly.

"Don't mention it, Tony." He couldn't help but stare at Ziva's desk as he sat down at his own. "It's quiet today. Gibbs hasn't called us out yet, and it's already 1 o'clock."

Tony nodded, "Yeah, too quiet. Gives me too much time to think, you know?"

130 seemed to be embedded in Tony's brain. He could only see the number flashing in front of his eyes.

"I kissed her." The words fell out of Tony's mouth before he could even register them.

McGee's mouth fell open and the bite of muffin he'd been chewing on dropped to the desk. "Excuse me? What? Did you just say what I think you said?"

Tony nodded slowly, "Yeah…I…kissed her" He scrubbed a hand over his face.

"How? When? WHY?" McGee was in a state of shock, but at the same time he couldn't say he was too surprised. This was Tony and Ziva after all.

"The morning she left. I headed over to her place. I was going to drive her to the airport. I…just…leaned in and kissed her." Tony said, leaning back in his chair and looking at the ceiling.

Tim chewed on the inside of his cheek. This was definitely new information and he wasn't exactly sure what to do with it.

"What did she say?" He was hesitant to ask the question.

Tony blew air out of his nose, "She started to cry, said 'I'm so sorry, Tony,' and ran out. I stood in her apartment for an hour, hoping she'd come back."

"Jesus, Tony. Why didn't you say something before?" McGee had jumped up from his desk to stand in front of Tony's.

Tony shrugged, "I guess I was embarrassed. I was angry…with myself, at Ziva. I put myself on the line, McGee! I opened up to her this past year, I've put my life, my job on the line for her thousands of times! And she left. She just got up and left me behind!" Tony had been getting increasingly angrier and by the end of his rant, he was standing on his feet, shouting.

"Has she…called you or anything? She wouldn't just let you kiss her and leave." McGee was trying and failing to lighten Tony's mood.

Tony dropped heavily back into his chair, "Radio silence, McGee. I haven't heard from her. I guess we didn't really know Ziva as well as I thought we did." Tony looked so brokenhearted, McGee wanted to give him a hug.

"Tony, you know Ziva. This isn't a reflection on your relationship."

Tony frowned, "I really thought we were gonna be able to start something up. It's kind of like a sucker punch to the gut."

"I'm sorry, Tony. I know how much Ziva means to you." McGee frowned, he had never seen Tony look this dejected, not even when they'd thought Ziva dead in Somalia.

"Do I just move on, or do I sit and hope she comes back?" Tony wondered out loud. McGee didn't say anything, knowing Tony needed to work through this on his own.

He gave Tony a pat on the shoulder and went to sit at his desk. Tony shuffled papers around on his desk fro the next few hours, only looking up when the elevator dinged, hoping he'd see her familiar black curls.

A crush of people exited the elevator an hour or so later, but Tony's eyes were locked onto one woman.

"Ziva?" he stood up form his desk, but didn't move.

"Hello, Tony." Ziva gave a soft, but hesitant smile and stepped into the bullpen.

"What—what are you doing here?" Tony spluttered, almost angry at the sight of Ziva, but mostly hurt.

Ziva ran a finger over the edge of her desk. She looked up at Tony's face, directly into his eyes.

"I couldn't live without you, I guess. Tried. Couldn't."

Tony blinked in shock at the sound of his words coming out of Ziva's mouth.

"I am sorry, Tony. I should not have left you like that." Ziva said, sounding angry.

Tony, regaining his senses, grumbled, "Yeah, you should be."

But he couldn't resist the strongest impulse his brain was sending out. He stormed forward and grabbed Ziva's wrist, pulling her close and smashing his lips to hers. His hands travelled upwards and wound themselves in Ziva's hair. Ziva moved to wrap her arms around Tony's back. She gently rubbed her hands up and down as she deepened the kiss, parting her lips and running her tongue over Tony's lips.

McGee, slightly pink from the embarrassment of watching Tony and Ziva, smiled before slipping out of the bullpen and heading down to Abby's lab. Boy, would she have a lot to say about this.

"You're not leaving again." It was a command, not a question that came out of Tony's mouth after he pulled away from the kiss.

"No, I am not. I do not know if I will be able to get my old job back, though." Ziva smiled happily, he lips tingling in the best possible way.

Tony shook his head, arms still wrapped around Ziva's back, "I don't care. I just want you in the same city."

He leaned down, a giddy smile still planted on his face, and just rested his forehead against Ziva's.

Ziva laughed lightly, "People will see us, Tony. If they haven't already."

"Let them. Don't care." Tony breathed.

"I care, DiNozzo." Gibbs appeared behind his senior agent and Tony flinched as hand made contact with head.

"Sorry, boss. But, it's Ziva!" Tony pointed to the Israeli who couldn't help but smile.

"I've got eyes, DiNozzo." Gibbs frowned, but gave Ziva a rare smile, "Welcome home, Ziver. Nice to have you come to us."

Ziva chuckled and smiled back, "It is nice to be home, Gibbs. And all in one piece."

Tony was frowning slightly as he watched the exchange. He hadn't necessarily planned on cluing Gibbs into his feelings for Ziva (although he suspected that the older man had always known).

"I guess we just ruined any chances of Ziva and me working on the same team, huh boss?" Tony asked, a sheepish smile on his face.

"Cross that bridge when we get to it, DiNozzo." Gibbs shook his head. "Go home for now."

"Really?" Tony and Ziva said this simultaneously, wearing matching expressions of shock.

Gibbs shrugged, "I don't see why not. I could invoke Rule 12, but it's a waste of breath."

Tony grinned at Ziva, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the elevator. Gibbs watched Ziva pull at Tony's shirt while they waited for the doors to open. He smiled when Tony leaned down and laughed at whatever Ziva whispered in his ear.

They both shot happy smiled his way as the elevator doors closed.

"Was that David?" Leon Vance's voice interrupted Gibbs' thoughts.

Gibbs nodded.

"Thought she was doing humanitarian work in Israel?" Vance leaned against the wall to the bullpen.

"More important stuff to work on here."

* * *

**A/N: So...I started this a couple of days ago, which is why none of it matches to what we saw in today's promo. Um, nevertheless, I hope you guys like it, and if you want to talk Tiva, come on over to my Tumblr, flowercrownoswald =)**


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